Cust: Landscape, Church Art and Motorsport History

From Cust, sweeping views stretch across rural farmland to rolling hills and mountains. At the same time, the town brings together church art and local history with an early chapter in New Zealand motorsport: in 1936, Cust hosted the country’s first motorcycle Grand Prix. The Cust Museum explores history and memorabilia relating to Cust and the surrounding districts. Landscape, heritage and motorsport offer different ways to get to know Cust for your trip.

St James-on-the-Cust: Church Art and History

St James-on-the-Cust features a small pipe organ, stained-glass windows and wood carvings. The church also houses one of six solid silver chalices brought to the Canterbury settlement by the first immigrant ships. The Sunday school building at St James-on-the-Cust was built in 1878. St James and the Belfry are listed as Category II places in the Historic Places Trust register.

These details offer different perspectives on the town’s heritage: the church’s furnishings, the chalice’s origins and the specific construction date of the Sunday school building. If you are interested in architectural history and church art, you will find several themes here that go beyond a single item of church furniture.

The Cust Museum and District History

The Cust Museum covers history, memorabilia, photographs, artefacts, records and family information relating to Cust and the surrounding districts. Its scope is therefore broader than the individual furnishings at St James-on-the-Cust: its subject matter includes the surrounding districts as well as Cust itself. The museum adds a regional perspective to the town’s history.

Motorsport History in Cust

At Easter 1936, New Zealand’s first motorcycle Grand Prix was held in Cust—an organised road race in rural Canterbury. In Cust, the New Zealand Grand Prix became an annual event. This history links a specific beginning with a recurring event that followed. For your trip planning, motorsport offers a different historical focus from church art and the local history explored at the museum.

Rural Views and Specialist Shops

The landscape is another defining aspect of Cust: from here, sweeping views extend across rural farmland to rolling hills and mountains. Visitors can also browse specialist shops in Cust. The rural scenery and the shops offer different sides of the town. If you would like to experience both landscapes and specialist offerings while travelling, these interests can add to your picture of Cust.

The Waimakariri District as a Regional Context

The Waimakariri District has numerous walking tracks beside lakes, rivers and wetlands, as well as through native bush and into the hills. In the Waimakariri District, Tūtaepatu Lagoon and The Pines Wetland are part of Tūhaitara Coastal Park. The park has tracks for walking, cycling and horse riding. The Kaiapoi isite Visitor Information Centre is the official isite information centre for the Waimakariri District. These regional themes offer another perspective for trip planning, distinct from Cust’s local history and landscape.

This helps you decide what you would like to focus on during your trip and choose a place to stay accordingly.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Ohoka, Rangiora.

Go to the main travel guide: Waimakariri District.